An Expert Debunks 5 Myths About Weight-Loss Surgery

No matter how laborious you attempt to shed some pounds, you would possibly nonetheless wrestle with weight problems. It’s not you. It’s weight problems — a illness that makes your physique need to maintain on to weight.

For a long time, weight-loss (or bariatric) surgical procedure has been an efficient strategy to overcome weight problems and associated medical circumstances like hypertension and infertility. Many folks qualify for this process, however many by no means contemplate it. Why? Common weight-loss surgical procedure myths are partly responsible.

To kind fable from truth, we turned to an skilled. Alexandra Zubowicz, MD, FACS, FASMBS, oversees the UVA Health bariatric surgical procedure program in Northern Virginia. A board-certified weight-loss surgeon, she’s a part of a workforce serving sufferers in Haymarket, Warrenton, and all through the area.

Myth 1. No One Really Needs Surgery to Lose Weight

Many folks imagine the parable that somebody simply must train extra and correctly weight loss program to shed some pounds. But weight problems is a illness that makes losing a few pounds tough to do by yourself, regardless of how laborious you attempt.

“Overcoming obesity often takes medical intervention. For many people, weight-loss surgery is truly the only option to help them finally get rid of the unwanted weight that is taking a serious toll on their health,” Zubowicz says.

Myth 2. You’ll Gain Back All the Weight After Weight-Loss Surgery

Patients who had weight-loss surgical procedure are literally extra prone to maintain the load off than those that have misplaced weight via conventional weight loss program and train. How do we all know? Many research present this.

After weight-loss surgical procedure, most individuals shed some pounds for about two years. After that point, it’s true that many individuals begin to regain a few of their misplaced weight. But only a few folks regain all of it.

Myth 3. Weight-Loss Surgery Is Too Dangerous

As with any surgical procedure, you’ll have a small likelihood of experiencing a complication akin to an an infection. Studies have proven that the danger for bariatric surgical procedure is about the identical as a routine gall bladder surgical procedure.

And the very fact is weight-loss surgical procedure is usually a lifesaving process.

If you’ve got kind 2 diabetes or hypertension, weight-loss surgical procedure may also help decrease your threat for:

Myth 4. Type of Weight-Loss Surgery Doesn’t Matter

Every kind of weight-loss process is designed to scale back the quantity of meals your physique can absorb. These procedures use totally different strategies to do that. Some fully bypass your abdomen, whereas others shrink or reshape it. 

Each weight-loss surgical procedure choice is just not proper for each particular person.

“No two people or bodies are the same. We consider many factors to make sure we offer the best surgery option for each patient,” Zubowicz says.

For instance, she notes, a gastric bypass process is the most suitable choice primarily based on the medical wants of somebody who has diabetes.

Myth 5. It Takes a Long Time to Recover from Weight-Loss Surgery

After weight-loss surgical procedure, you’ll possible solely want to remain within the hospital for 1 or 2 nights. You might even qualify for a kind of weight-loss surgical procedure that’s carried out as an outpatient process.

You’ll must eat a liquid weight loss program to offer your digestive system an opportunity to adapt. But about 2 weeks after bariatric surgical procedure, you can begin consuming common strong meals.

It’s vital to know that weight-loss surgical procedure is just not a fast repair. You’ll want to alter the way in which you eat and ensure you get the proper vitamins. But you’ll have help from a dietitian and different consultants that can assist you make these modifications. They’ll set you as much as turn out to be the subsequent particular person to beat weight problems.